Williamson warns of 'powerful' Blackstenius

Leah Williamson has described her Arsenal teammate Stina Blackstenius as an "incredibly powerful footballer" as the pair prepare to go head-to-head in the Euro 2025 quarter-final between England and Sweden.

- Suzanne Wrack

"She's a great player and she has been for many years now," said the England captain. "Her experience speaks for itself. We were celebrating her success at Arsenal, but not so much now. We'll see. Stina is an incredibly powerful footballer and very intelligent with her runs. She's a hard player to play against in that respect."

The two players were on the same Arsenal side in May when Blackstenius scored the winner against Barcelona in the Champions League final. And trying to separate the friendship they have when they step on to the pitch in Zurich tomorrow can be challenging. "It's different because playing each other in training comes with restrictions, it's rare that I get to play against Stina in this setting. I enjoy it, I like Stina," Williamson said with a grin.